JP3227924B2 - Cold air refrigerated display case - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is suitable for a small-scale store in which various products having different cooling temperatures, such as meat, fresh fish and fruits and vegetables, are flexibly displayed and used in one refrigerated showcase. The present invention relates to a cold air circulation type refrigerated showcase.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a small store such as a convenience store, a variety of products are displayed in small spaces in small spaces, and are sold in small quantities. In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for versatile refrigerated showcases that can flexibly display various products such as meat, fresh fish, dairy products and fruits and vegetables.

Since the proper refrigeration temperature of meat, fresh fish, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, etc. differs depending on the varieties, it is necessary to collectively display these various products in one refrigerated showcase. It is necessary to provide multiple categories of product display rooms with different operating temperatures. On the other hand, as a cool air circulation type refrigerated showcase that meets the above demand, a product display room of the refrigerated showcase is divided into a plurality of rooms arranged on the left and right, and one is provided in a cool air circulation ventilation passage separately corresponding to each room. Independent coolers (evaporators for refrigerators) and fans were installed, and each cooler was individually thermo-operated based on the operating temperature set for each room to control the temperature inside the refrigerator. The thing is, for example,
It is already known in the publication of No. 553.

[0004]

By the way, as described above, a refrigerated showcase having a configuration in which one independent cooler is installed in each of the commodity display rooms partitioned in the showcase and having different operating temperatures is provided. In addition to an increase in the number of units, the cost increases. In addition, operating each cooler in parallel with one refrigerator (condensing unit) makes it difficult to control the operation due to the different refrigeration loads on the individual coolers, and also requires refrigeration. The control system of the machine is also complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and uses a single cooler for each unit and separates a plurality of product display rooms into a plurality of rooms as in a normal refrigerated showcase. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cold air circulation type refrigerated showcase having a simple configuration in which the refrigerated showcase can be used at different use temperatures.

[0006]

The above objects can be achieved by the present invention by using the following means. First Solution: A common single cooler is provided in the cool air circulation passage so as to span the entire width of each room of the commodity display room, and the cool air circulation ventilation passage is divided into sections corresponding to each room of the commodity display room. Place the partition wall in a range from the outlet side of the cooler to the cool air outlet, and
An independent fan is installed at the cooler inlet side for each section, and the wind tunnels of the fans are arranged side by side so as to contact each other with almost no gap. Then, the temperature of the inside of each room is controlled by controlling the operation of each fan in a thermo-operation.

[0007] Here, with respect to the fan disposed in the ventilation passage section corresponding to the room where the operating temperature is higher, when the circulating cool air temperature is higher than the set value of the operating temperature, the fan rotates at a constant speed and becomes lower than the set value. Stop or decelerate the fan under the conditions. Second Solution: A common single cooler is provided in the cool air circulation ventilation passage so as to span the entire width of each room of the commodity display room, and the cool air circulation ventilation passage is divided into sections corresponding to each room of the commodity display room. Place the partition wall in a range from the outlet side of the cooler to the cool air outlet, and
Independent fans for each section are installed on the cooler inlet side, and the wind tunnels of the fans are arranged side by side so as to contact each other with almost no gap. A heater is installed in the road section, and based on the use temperature set for each room, the heater is thermo-electrically controlled during cooling to control the temperature in the compartment of each room.

Here, the heater stops energizing the heater when the circulating cool air temperature is equal to or higher than a set temperature, and energizes the heater when the circulating cool air temperature is equal to or lower than the set value to heat the circulating cool air. And Further, the heater can be arranged and implemented in a cool air circulation passage between the cooler and the cool air outlet.

Third Solution: A single cooler common to each room of the product display room is provided in the cool air circulation passage, and the amount of cool air blown toward the inside of the refrigerator is provided upstream of the cool air outlet. A wind direction guide is provided that is distributed according to the operating temperature of each room in the product display room. In the third solution, the wind direction guide may be movable, and the distribution ratio of the cool air volume may be changed.

[0010]

In the above construction, the cool air passing through the cooler common to each room is supplied to the respective merchandise display rooms which are divided side by side by the ventilation path partition wall and the wind direction guide. Circulates through the partitioned cool air circulation ventilation path,
Keep the products displayed in the room cool.

Here, in the first solution, when the fan corresponding to the room specified during the cold-holding operation is stopped or decelerated, the circulation of the cool air is stopped or the amount of the cool air is reduced. The temperature inside the display room increases. Therefore, the operating temperature preset for each room is compared with the temperature of the circulating cool air flowing through each room (detected by the temperature sensor), and based on this, the temperature of the cool air circulating through the specified room is used as the operating temperature set value. Stop fan at lower condition,
Or, if the deceleration control is performed, it becomes possible to keep the cooler in operation and keep the internal temperature of each room at the specified use temperature to keep the cool.

Further, as in the second solution, a heater is installed in the section of the circulation ventilation path corresponding to the specified room (the room where the operating temperature is on the high temperature side), and the heater is energized during the cooling operation. When the cool air is heated, the temperature of the circulating cool air naturally rises, and the temperature inside the refrigerator increases. Therefore, the operating temperature preset for each room is compared with the temperature of the circulating cool air flowing through each room (detected by the temperature sensor), and based on this, the temperature of the cool air circulating through the specified room is used as the operating temperature set value. The heater is turned on and off so that the heater is energized under the following conditions and the energization is stopped when the cold air temperature becomes equal to or higher than the set value, or the heater heat generation is adjusted according to the set value of the operating temperature ( If the current supply to the heater is controlled), it is possible to keep the internal temperature of each room cool at a specified use temperature while operating the cooler. In addition, if the heater is arranged between the cooler and the cool air outlet of the circulation ventilation path, the cooling air dehumidified by the cooler can be heated by the heater with the absolute humidity unchanged and blown out into the refrigerator. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dew on the product and inside the refrigerator.

In this way, if the fan and the heater are thermo-controlled for the room on the high temperature side (operating temperature) based on the set value of the operating temperature as described above, the product display room divided into a plurality of rooms is provided. Various products can be displayed flexibly by selectively using each of the rooms on the high temperature side and the low temperature side. According to the structure of the first and second solving means, since the wind tunnel of each fan serves as a partition for guiding the cool air flow to the cooler, the shape of the ventilation path partition is simple and the installation is easy. In particular, even when the cooler is removed from the inside of the refrigerator for inspection or repair, the cooler can be taken out without being obstructed by the ventilation path partition wall. On the other hand, in the third solution, the cool air that has passed through the cooler is distributed so as to blow out to each room of the product display room via the wind direction guide on the way. Here, if the distribution direction of the cool air volume is set such that the air flow guide is set so that the cool air volume in the room where the operating temperature is low is large and the cool air volume in the room where the operating temperature is high is small, it corresponds to the distribution ratio of the cool air volume. Then, each room is kept cool at the internal temperature. In addition, if the wind direction guide is movable and the distribution ratio of the amount of cool air blown to each room of the product display room is configured to be changeable, the inside temperature of each room of the product display room within the capacity range of the cooler can be adjusted. Can be adjusted extensively.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The illustrated example shows an embodiment applied to an open showcase. Embodiment 1 FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment corresponding to claims 1 and 2 of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an outer box of a refrigerated showcase, 2 is an inner box, and an inner partition 3
The left and right merchandise display rooms 4I and 4II are separated via a, and each room is provided with merchandise display shelves 5 lined up and down. On the other hand, a single cooler 7 (of a refrigerator) that extends over both the commodity display rooms 4I and 4II is provided below the cool air circulation ventilation path 6 defined between the outer case 1 and the inner case 2. Evaporator) is provided, and the above-mentioned partition wall 3 in the refrigerator is further provided.
The cold air circulating air passage 6 is divided into right and left divided air passages 6I and 6II. Here, the ventilation path partition wall 8 has a U-shape as a whole so as to surround the outer periphery of the inner box 2 by cutting out the portion of the cooler 7. A fan 9 having an independent wind tunnel is provided in front of the cooler 7 corresponding to each of the divided ventilation paths 6I and 6II.
I and 9II are installed. In addition, 10 is a condensing unit of the refrigerator connected to the cooler 7, and 11 is an electromagnetic valve connected to the refrigerant circuit. Further, temperature sensors 12I and 12II (thermosensitive cylinders of a thermostat for controlling the temperature in the refrigerator) for detecting the temperature of the cool air flowing in the ventilation passage are provided in the divided ventilation passages 6I and 6II of the cooling air circulation passage 6 described above. And the signals from the temperature sensors 12I and 12II
3 to control the thermostat of the cooler and the fan as described below.

Next, the operation control of the refrigerated showcase having the above configuration will be described. First, of the merchandise display rooms 4I and 4II, the left room 4I has a lower operating temperature and the right room 4II.
Is set to the high temperature side, the operating temperature (T1, T2) is set in the controller 13 in accordance with the type of the displayed product for each room (see FIG. 2). During the cooling operation, the solenoid valve 11 is opened, and the condensing unit 10 of the refrigerator turns the cooler 7 on.
And the fans 9I and 9II are operated at a constant speed. As a result, the cool air flows 14I and 14II cooled by the cooler 7 are circulated and blown from the divided ventilation paths 6I and 6II via the commodity display rooms 4I and 4II, thereby forming a cool air curtain on the front of the commodity display room. The products (not shown) arranged on the display shelf 5 in the refrigerator are kept cool.

In the cold keeping operation state, the goods display room 4I,
The temperature of the cold air flows 14I and 14II circulating through the 4II is detected by the temperature sensors 12I and 12II, and the detected temperatures t1 and t2 are compared with the set values T1 and T2 of the use temperatures by the controller 13. When the cool air temperature t2 circulating through the product display room 4II on the high temperature side becomes equal to or lower than the set value T2 of the operating temperature, the thermo contact connected to the motor circuit of the fan 9II in FIG. Alternatively, it is controlled to decelerate by a command from the controller 13. Thereby, in the product display room 4II, the circulation of the cool air is interrupted or the amount of the cool air is reduced, so that the temperature in the refrigerator rises to prevent the displayed products from being excessively cooled.
Note that the fan 9I continuously rotates and blows cool air to the low-temperature side product display room 4I. Then, when the temperature of the divided ventilation passage 6II leading to the commodity display room 4II rises above the set temperature (a temperature 3 to 5 ° C higher than the set value T2), the fan 9II returns to the constant speed rotation again to circulate cool air. I do. When the temperature t1 of the cool air circulating through the commodity display room 4I on the low temperature side becomes equal to or lower than the set temperature T1, the electromagnetic valve 11 is closed by a command from the controller 13 to stop the operation of the refrigerator. Operation is controlled. By controlling the fan 9II for the high-temperature side product display room 4II by the thermo-operation in this way, it is possible to keep the product display rooms 4I and 4II cool at different use temperatures while the cooler 7 is operating.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a configuration of an applied embodiment in which a part of the structure of FIG. 1 is changed. That is, in this embodiment, the cool air circulation path 6 is divided into left and right divided ventilation paths 6I,
6II, a ventilation path partitioning wall 8 is provided only in the range from the outlet side of the cooler 7 to the cool air curtain outlet, and fans 9I,
Each of the wind tunnels 9a of 9II is installed side by side so as to be in contact with almost no gap. According to this structure, each fan 9
The wind tunnel 9a of I, 9II cools the cold air flows 14I, 14II to the cooler 7
1, the ventilation path partition wall 8 has a simpler shape than the structure shown in FIG. 1 and can be easily mounted. Even when the cooler 7 is removed from the interior of the refrigerator for inspection and repair, etc. The cooler can be taken out without being obstructed by the ventilation path partition wall 8.

Embodiment 2 FIGS. 4 and 5 show an embodiment corresponding to claim 3 of the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a divided ventilation passage of the cool air circulation ventilation passage 6 corresponding to the commodity display room 4II on the high temperature side among the commodity display rooms 4I and 4II divided into two chambers in the case. 6II is additionally provided with a heater 15 as compared with the first embodiment. The heater 15 may be located anywhere between the cooler 7 and the cool air outlet opened in the upper part of the product display room 4II. Side) or near the cool air outlet opening at the upper front end of the case toward the interior of the case. And this heater 1
5 is thermo-controlled similarly to the fan 9II in the first embodiment.

That is, at the beginning of the cooling operation of the showcase, the cooler 7 and the fan 9 are turned off while the heater 15 is not energized.
I and 9II are operated to circulate the cool air flows 14I and 14II through the divided air passages 6I and 6II to the product display rooms 4I and 4II to keep the products displayed in the refrigerator cool. When the temperature t2 of the cold air flow 14II flowing through the high-temperature side ventilation path 6II becomes lower than the use temperature T2 set in advance for the product display room 4II, the heater 15 is energized by a command from the controller 13, and the product display room 4II is turned on. Warm the cold air blown into the refrigerator. As a result, the temperature in the refrigerator is raised and the displayed products are prevented from being supercooled. In this ventilation state, since the heater 15 directly heats the cool air dehumidified by the cooler 7, the absolute humidity of the cooling flow 14II blown out into the refrigerator is unchanged, thereby making the inside of the refrigerator and the displayed product There is no increase in dew. When the temperature of the cool air flowing through the divided ventilation path 6II leading to the commodity display room 4II rises above the set temperature (a temperature 3 to 5 ° C. higher than the set value T2), the heater 15 is de-energized again and the cooler 7 turns on. Return to the cooling operation. The refrigerator including the cooler 7 is thermo-controlled based on the operating temperature set value T1 for the commodity display room 4I on the low temperature side as in the first embodiment. By controlling the heater 15 installed in the commodity display room 4II on the high-temperature side in this way, the commodity display rooms 4I and 4II are kept cool at different use temperatures while the cooler 7 is operated as in the first embodiment. I can do it.

In the above, the heater 15 having a constant calorific value is controlled to be ON / OFF in response to a change in the cool air temperature based on the set value of the operating temperature for the product display room 4II. As a method, a method of controlling the energization of a heater having a constant calorific value in accordance with the thermo-operation cycle of the cooler 7 and further variably adjusting the calorific value of the heater 15 in accordance with the set value of the operating temperature (actually from the controller 13) The control method may be such that the current supplied to the heater is changed by a command. Also in this embodiment, regarding the ventilation path partition wall 8 that divides the cool air circulation ventilation path into two parts on the left and right, and the fans 9I and 9II, the ventilation path partition wall having the structure described with reference to FIGS. An arrangement can be employed and practiced.

Embodiment 3 FIGS. 8 and 9 show an embodiment corresponding to claims 4 and 5 of the present invention. In this embodiment, in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 1), the cool air circulation passage 6 defined between the outer case 1 and the inner case 2 of the showcase is provided. On the other hand, a wind direction guide 16 is provided on the cool air outlet side in the cool air circulation passage 6, that is, on the back side of the ceiling panel of the inner box 2. Here, the wind direction guide 16 adjusts the position of the front end to the inside partition wall 3 that partitions the product display rooms 4I and 4II inside the store, and displaces the rear end to the left or right to set the width of the cool air passage to D1, D2. It is laid so that it is distributed in the ratio of

The wind direction guide 16 is provided with a cool air passage 6I,
6II, the width of the passage on the outlet side of the cooler 7 is divided into D1 and D2. Here, the product display room 4I in the refrigerator is on the low-temperature side (for meat and fresh fish), and the product display room 4II is on the high-temperature side (for meat and fresh fish). The wind direction guide 16 is set at a position such that the passage width satisfies D1> D2. This wind direction guide 1
Except for the laying area 6, the cooling air circulation ventilation path 6 is not provided with a ventilation path partition wall for partitioning the ventilation path from side to side. Although not shown, a single cooler common to the merchandise display rooms 4I and 4II is provided on the bottom side of the cool air circulation ventilation passage 6 as in FIG.

With such a configuration, the cool air flow 14I, 1 which flows through the cool air circulation passage 6 and blows out from the cool air outlet on the upper front surface of the case body toward the commodity display rooms 4I, 4II in the refrigerator.
4II is distributed with the wind direction guide 16 as a partition.
Thereby, it is possible to give a difference between the high and low temperatures in the storage to the merchandise display rooms 4I and 4II arranged side by side. That is,
By using one cooler 7, different temperature zones can be created in the product display rooms 4I and 4II, and each product display room can be used at a different use temperature.

FIG. 9 shows an applied embodiment in which a movable wind direction guide having a telescopic structure is applied to the wind direction guide of FIG. That is, the movable wind direction guide 16 has the front end of the split guide 16a aligned with the partition wall 3 in the refrigerator and hingedly connected to the front of the cool air outlet, and the slide pin 16c attached to the split guide 16b is connected to the inner box 2 And is mounted to be slidable in the left-right direction between the solid line position and the chain line position in the drawing with the hinge portion at the front end as a fulcrum. Here, when the set position of the wind direction guide 16 is moved left and right, the cold air flow 14
Since the air volume distribution ratio of I and 14II changes, the inside temperature of the product display rooms 4I and 4II relatively changes accordingly.

Although the first to third embodiments have been described with reference to the case in which the present invention is applied to a multi-stage open showcase, the present invention is not limited to the open showcase alone, but includes a reach-in with a front door. Needless to say, the present invention can be similarly applied to a refrigerated showcase, a flat open showcase, and the like.

[0026]

As described above, according to the structure of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) One refrigerated showcase is divided into a plurality of product display rooms, and the operating temperature is changed for each room to flexibly display various products such as meat, fresh fish, and fruits and vegetables with different refrigeration temperatures. This makes it possible to provide a versatile refrigerated showcase that meets the needs of users for small-scale stores such as convenience stores.

(2) It can be handled by adding a small number of parts to a normal showcase in which one cooler is mounted in one case, and can be handled for each of a plurality of product display rooms. Compared with the conventional one equipped with an independent cooler, the configuration is simpler and the manufacturing cost is lower, and the operation control of the refrigerator is the same as a normal showcase,
Significant advantages in manufacturing and control can be obtained.

(3) In addition, according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, since the wind tunnel of each fan serves as a partition for guiding the cool air flow to the cooler, the shape of the ventilation path partition is simple. In addition to simplifying installation, the cooler can be taken out without being obstructed by the ventilation path partition wall 8, even when the cooler is removed from the inside of the refrigerator for inspection or repair.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a configuration of a cold air circulation type open showcase corresponding to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a part of the inside of a refrigerator is cut away.

FIG. 2 is a configuration layout diagram schematically illustrating a main part in FIG. 1 together with a control system.

FIG. 3 is a control circuit diagram of a refrigerator and a fan in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a configuration layout diagram schematically showing a main part of a showcase corresponding to a second embodiment of the present invention together with a control system.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the entire structure of the cold air circulation type refrigerated open showcase corresponding to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an application example in which a part of the structure of FIG. 1 is changed.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the bottom of the refrigerator in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a main part of a showcase corresponding to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a detailed structural diagram of a variable wind direction guide as an application example of the wind direction guide in FIG. 9;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer box 2 Inner box 3 Interior partition wall 4I Commodity display room (low temperature side) 4II Commodity display room (high temperature side) 5 Commodity display shelf 6 Cold air circulation ventilation path 6I, 6II Split ventilation path 7 Cooler 8 Ventilation path partition wall 9I, 9II fan 12I, 12II temperature sensor 13 controller 15 heater 16 wind direction guide

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F25D 11/00 101 F25D 17/06 311 F25D 17/08 320

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cold air circulation type refrigerated showcase in which a cooler and a fan are arranged in a cool air circulation ventilation passage between an inner box and an outer box defining a product display room, wherein a plurality of product display rooms are arranged side by side. In a room where products with different refrigeration temperatures are displayed in each room, a common single cooler is installed in the cool air circulation passage so as to span the entire width of each room in the product display room. A partition wall that divides the cool air circulation passage into sections corresponding to each room of the product display room is arranged in a range from the outlet side of the cooler to the cool air outlet, and independent fans are provided for each section. In addition to being installed on the inlet side of the cooler, the wind tunnels of the fans are arranged side by side so that they contact each other with almost no gap. It is characterized by controlling the temperature inside the chamber of each room Cold air circulation type refrigerated showcase that. 2. A refrigerated showcase according to claim 1, wherein the fan is arranged at a constant speed when the circulating cool air temperature is equal to or higher than a set value of the operating temperature. A cold air circulation type refrigerated showcase characterized in that the fan is stopped or decelerated under the condition that the value becomes equal to or less than a set value. 3. A cold air circulation type refrigerated showcase in which a cooler and a fan are arranged in a cool air circulation ventilation passage between an inner box and an outer box defining a commodity display room, wherein a plurality of commodity display rooms are arranged side by side. In a room where products with different refrigeration temperatures are displayed in each room, a common single cooler is installed in the cool air circulation passage so as to span the entire width of each room in the product display room. A partition wall that divides the cool air circulation passage into sections corresponding to each room of the product display room is arranged in a range from the outlet side of the cooler to the cool air outlet, and independent fans are provided for each section. A cooler and a cool air outlet of a ventilation passage section corresponding to a room whose operating temperature is at least high temperature are arranged on the inlet side of the cooler and arranged so that the air tunnels of the fan are in contact with each other with almost no gap. Heater in the cool air circulation passage between Location to, based on the use temperature set for each chambers, the cold air circulating type refrigerated showcase which is characterized in that each chamber of the internal temperature adjusted by thermo energization control the heater in the cold. 4. A cold air circulation type refrigerated showcase in which a cooler and a fan are arranged in a cool air circulation ventilation passage between an inner box and an outer box defining a product display room, wherein a plurality of product display rooms are arranged side by side. In a room where products with different refrigeration temperatures are displayed in each room, a common single cooler is installed in the cool air circulation passage so as to span the entire width of each room in the product display room. A cool air circulation type refrigerated showcase characterized by providing a wind direction guide on the upstream side of the cool air outlet for distributing the amount of cool air blown toward each room in the refrigerator in accordance with the use temperature of each room. . 5. A refrigerated showcase according to claim 4, wherein the air direction guide is movable and the distribution ratio of the amount of cool air is changeable.